Blue Eyed Grass Facts

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Blue Eyed Grass Facts

Overview

A tufted perennial grass, blue-eyed grass produces one or more stems that measure 20 inches in height. Both stems and blades are hairless in appearance. Small blue flowers that measure only 1/2-inch in diameter are produced on the plant in May or early June. The flowers open up in the early morning sunlight and close up their petals as the afternoon progresses in preparation for nightfall.

Family Iridaceae

Blue-eyed grass belongs to the plant family Iridaceae with most species of irises, freesias and gladiolus. Currently, there are 60 genera and over 1,500 species, according to the University of Texas. British gardener Phillip Miller first described the blue-eyed grass his book the "Gardeners Dictionary".

Planting Location

Blue-eyed grass grows well in fertile, moist soil. The plant grows prolifically in pasture-lands, alpine-lands, bottom-lands, beside creeks and often along open roadside areas.

Root System

The root system of the blue-eyed grass is made up of clumps of rhizomes. Each rhizome is short in appearance with branching fibrous roots. The grass can tolerate short spans of drought, but does best in moist soil.

Range

Blue-eyed grass grows from southern Canada into New York state. It spans across the northern reaches of the United States into Montana and as far south as Kansas. The plant is also found in Southern California all the way down to Baja and in southern Alaska.

Seed Production

Seeds are produce in tiny pods following flowering. The pods ripen through the month of June and then burst open to reveal tiny black seeds. The plant spreads easily though its root system and seed production.

About this Author

Kimberly Sharpe is a freelance writer with a diverse background. She has worked as a Web writer for the past four years. She writes extensively for Associated Content where she is both a featured home improvement contributor (with special emphasis on gardening) and a parenting contributor. She also writes for Helium. She has worked professionally in the animal care and gardening fields.